Inquiry-based learning is a cornerstone of Reggio Emilia–inspired learning in Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten. It empowers our youngest students to explore, question, and discover through meaningful, hands-on experiences. The classrooms are filled with activity, much of it originating from students’ creative minds.

This week, Kindergarten students expressed growing curiosity about Earth and the planets, sparking an inquiry about outer space. As they asked questions about astronauts, the International Space Station, and beyond, their learning took flight - literally! Through drawings and discussions, they realized that a telescope was needed to explore space more closely, prompting a small group to begin building one of their own.

After reading various versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Junior Kindergarten students noticed a common food item in all the stories: porridge! They asked what porridge was and wanted to make it as a snack. After learning that it was oatmeal, they wondered where it comes from and were excited to learn that it is grown on farms, which prompted questions about how it is grown and how it reaches grocery stores. They learned that once the planted oats are ready, the oats themselves are removed from the stalk by a combine harvester, and the stalk is used for hay.  As students' interests shifted to what hay could be used for and how they could grow it themselves, they decided to create a farm in the classroom!